dressed and attended the captain.  Fortunately this man soon became very much attached to me, and took very great pains to instruct me in many things.  He taught me to shave and dress hair a little, and also to read in the Bible, explaining many passages to me, which I did not comprehend.  I was wonderfully surprised to see the laws and rules of my country written almost exactly here; a circumstance which I believe tended to impress our manners and customs more deeply on my memory.  I used to tell him of this resemblance; and many a time we have sat up the whole night together at this employment.  In short, he was like a father to me; and some even used to call me after his name; they also styled me the black Christian.  Indeed I almost loved him with the affection of a son.  Many things I have denied myself that he might have them; and when I used to play at marbles or any other game, and won a few half-pence, or got any little money, which I sometimes did, for shaving any one, I used to buy him a little sugar or tobacco, as far as my stock of money would go.  He used to say, that he and I never should part; and that when our ship was paid off, as I was as free as himself or any other man on board, he would instruct me in his business, by which I might gain a good livelihood.  This gave me new life and spirits; and my heart burned within me, while I thought the time long till I obtained my freedom.  For though my master had not promised it to me, yet, besides the assurances I had received that he had no right to detain me, he always treated me with the greatest kindness, and reposed in me an unbounded confidence; he even paid attention to my morals; and would never suffer me to deceive him, or tell lies, of which he used to tell me the consequences; and that if I did so God would not love me; so that, from all this tenderness, I had never once supposed, in all my dreams of freedom, that he would think of detaining me any longer than I wished.

In pursuance of our orders we sailed from Portsmouth for the Thames, and arrived at Deptford the 10th of December, where we cast anchor just as it was high water.  The ship was up about half an hour, when my master ordered the barge to be manned; and all in an instant, without having before given me the least reason to suspect any thing of the matter, he forced me into the barge; saying, I was going to leave him, but he would take care I should not.  I was so struck with the unexpectedness of this proceeding, that for some time I did not make a reply, only I made an offer to go for my books and chest of clothes, but he swore I should not move out of his sight; and if I did he would cut my throat, at the same time taking his hanger.  I began, however, to collect myself; and, plucking up courage, I told him I was free, and he could not by law serve me so.  But this only enraged him the more; and he continued to swear, and said he would soon let me know whether he would or not, and at that instant sprung himself